Gas producers



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3,9423% Patented July 31, 1962 3,047,376 GAS PRODUCERS Josef Miinster, Dusseldorf-Qberkassel, and Hans-Dieter Textor, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignors to Ferdinand Lentjes Kesselschmiede u. Maschinenbau, Dusseldorf- Oberkassel, Germany Filed May 4-, 1960, Ser. No. 26,833 Claims priority, application Germany May 21, 1959 11 Claims. (Cl. 48--76) which permits the gas produced to pass through it and consists of a number of pipes arranged side by side at a small distance apart through which water flows and which run in the direction in which the fuel is conveyed. The pipes form a substantially cylindrical basket which encloses the reaction chamber; a lance provided with a suitable outlet opening for the supply of an oxygen-containing gas passes through the middle of the reaction chamber. The lance extends through a fuel-storagecontainer which forms part of the charging apparatus and is arranged above the reaction chamber, the fuel-storage container being provided with a piston loaded by a weight which places a load on the fuel and thereby produces the pressure for packing the fuel in the reaction chamber.

It has now been found that the pressure for packing the fuel in the reaction chamber which is obtainable with a charging apparatus of this kind is frequently not sufficient for efiicient rapid gasification, owing mainly to the provision of a supply funnel disposed between the fuel-storage container and the reaction chamber and narrowing in a downward direction so as to absorb a considerable part of the pressure acting on the fuel. It has further been found. that the supply of the oxygen-containing gas by means of a lance passing centrally through the bed of fuel and the discharge of the gas produced through the cylindrical tubular wall enclosing the reaction chamber frequently does not enable the high air pressure or high air velocity necessary for rapid gasification to be obtained, and considerable loss of pressure occurs.

It has now been found that a considerably more efficient rapid gasification can be obtained by improving and further developing the above-described gas generator. In accordance with the invention, the charging device comprises a shaft which forms a prolongation of the reaction chamber and is in line with and of the same cross-section as the reaction chamber and has a fuelsupply passage which opens laterally into the shaft and a piston which is movable in the shaft. The supply of oxygen-containing gas to the reaction chamber takes place laterally from the outside and the tubular wall through which the gas produced passes is arranged on the side of the reaction chamber opposite to the side on which the oxygen-containing gas is supplied and is provided with criss-cross slots for, the passage of gas which run both longitudinally and transversely. The construction ofthis wall of the reaction chamber which allows the gas produced to pass through it is then of particular importance. The wall preferably consists of prismatic tubular bars of substantially trapezoidal-shape in cross-section; the narrower side of the trapezoid,

which faces away from the reaction chamber, has a longitudinal bore through which the cooling water passes, whereas the gas-outlet slots are cut in intersecting crosscross fashion in the wider base surfaces of the tubular bars which face the reaction chamber. The gas-outlet slots open at the back into bores serving for the gas discharge. In this way a high-speed gas generator is obtained which can be operated with high air pressure and high air velocity and in which also the high packing pressure on the fuel which is necessary for the rapid gasification can continuously be maintained in the reaction chamber. Whereas the air for gasification is blown at high pressure at one side into the reaction chamber, the tubular wall on the opposite side of the reaction chamber having the intersecting slots for the passage of gas forms a retaining system which ensures the stability of the bed of fuel and yet contains a large total free passage area for the gas produced, the individual slots being sufliciently narrow to prevent the finer grains of the fuel from being carried along by the steam-of "gas. In addition, the tubular wall, or gas filter, of the invention is so constructed as to be extremely resistant to temperature, because favorable heat-transfer conditions exist between the parts of the tubular bars which are directly adjacent the bed of fuel and the longitudinal bore through which the cooling medium flows, especially when the tubular bars are made in one piece, that is to say are machined from a solid piece of material.

The piston which produces the packing pressure and is movable in the shaft arranged above the reaction chamber is preferably operated hydraulically and its forward movement, which takes place considerably more slowly than its backward movement, can be adapted to suit the forward feed of the fuel or the speed of working of the slag-discharge device by suitably constructed hydraulic switching means. The slag-discharge device advantageously consists of a rotatable slag-discharge drum, forming a closure for the bottom of the reaction chamber, which is constructed like a milling cutter and co-operates with a slag-retarding device which bears against it and is subject to an adjustable spring pressure. The charging device of the invention in co-operation with the slag-discharge drum enables the gas producer to be operated continuously because the fuel is continuously delivered from the fuel container through the passage which enters obliquely into the shaft containing the piston and the slag can also be continuously discharged by the slag-discharge drum.

The wall of the reaction chamber through which the gasification medium is admitted advantageously consists of plate-s of heat-resistant material, for example highalloy steel, which are arranged in grid or grate form one above another. The plates are adjustable transversely to the bed of fuel by suitable guidin and retaining means. In this way the width of the bed of fuel can be adjusted to a certain extent and can thereby be adapted to suit the gasification conditions at any time. In order to be able to vary the output of the gas generator, it is of advantage to divide the inlet passage for the gasification medium into several zones which are provided with means, such as sliding plates, which enable the amount of gasiiication medium in the individual zones to be regulated.

A constructional embodiment of a gas generator in accordance with the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the generator in side elevation;

FIGURE 2 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the reaction chamber again in diagrammatic form;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line III-III of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 show a tubular rod forming part 3 of the generator wall in front elevation, side elevation and plan, respectively; and

'FIGURE 7 is a diagram showing the hydraulic control for the piston which produces packing pressure on the fuel.

As shown in the drawing, the gas generator illustrated in FIGURE 1 has hoppers l and 2 which receive the fuel and are closed air-tightly to the outside by bells 3 and 4. The fuel enters the reaction chamber 7 through a passage 6 which opens laterally into a shaft 5. The shaft is in line with the reacltion chamber 7, forming an extension thereof, and has a cross-section which substantially corresponds to that of the reaction chamber 7.

A piston 8 is movable in the shaft 5 and is driven, preferably hydraulically, in such a manner that it makes a comparatively slow forward movement to deliver the fuel, which is supplied from the side, with the necessary packing pressure but, on the other hand, makes a considerably more rapid return movement. The hydraulic drive as well as the means for controlling the piston 8 are hereafter described in connection with FIGURE 7.

The reaction chamber 7 consists of a vertical shaft having a rectangular cross-section of small dimensions, for example 10 x 25 X 40 cm. The vertical arrangement of the reaction chamber is chiefly of advantage because the free fall of the fuel is utilized and any liquid slag which may be produced can flow downwardly to the slag discharge drum 9 which is disposed below the reaction chamber 7. The slag-discharge drum, as shown in FIG- URE 2, is constructed like a milling cutter. It co-operates with a slag-damming or slag-retarding device it which is under the adjustable spring pressure of a number of spring-actuated pistons 11 arranged side by side. A slag container 12 is provided below the slag-discharge drum and is closed to the outside by a double closure member.

The oxygen-containing gas is supplied by a blower 13 through an inlet passage 14- which is longitudinally subdivided into several transversely extending ducts or zones 15 in front of the reaction chamber 7 so as to enable the producer to be regulated for a partial load. In order to compensate for variations in the gasification in the reaction chamber, sliding plates lo are provided in the inlet passage 14 for each zone and enable the amount of gasifying medium in the individual zones to be regulated. The sliding plates also enable the gasification zones to be observed through a window 14 in the inlet passage 14. The chamber wall 17 which serves for the lateral inlet of the air for gasification to the reaction chamber consists of plates 37' of heat-resistant material, preferably high-alloy steel, which are arranged one above another in grid or grate form. The plates are assembled in groups corresponding to the zones 15 and are connected by angle bars 18 to the partitions 15' separating the zones 15 so as to be transversely adjustable. In this Way the plates 17 can be displaced relatively to the fuel bed or the reaction chamber to a certain extent as indicated by the chaindotted line in FIGURE 2, so that the reaction chamber can be reduced or enlarged according to the grain size of the fuel in order to ensure the passage of the gasifying medium through the fuel with minimum pressure. On the side of the reaction chamber 7 opposite the gas inlet, there is provided a grid 19 which permits the CO gas produced to pass through it. The grid 19 consists of tubular bars Zil which are arranged side by side at a small distance apart. The construction of the bars 2b is shown in detail in FIGURES 46. As shown in FIG- URE 6 the bars 249 are of prismatic form and of a substantially trapezoidal shape in cross-section. A longitudinal bore 2 1 through which the cooling water passes is provided in the narrower longitudinal side which is remote from the reaction chamber 7.

The diameter of the bore may be about 14-20 mm. The bars 20 are welded at their top and bottom extremities 22, 2 3 to the jacket 24 of the housing of the generator which is provided with a water cooling chamber 25. The

cooling water flows from bottom to top through the longitudinal bore 21 in the tubular rods. The coolingwater system can, in some cases, also be used for the production of steam. On the wider base surface 26 which faces the reaction chamber and the fuel the tubular rods 2t) are provided with criss-cross gas-passage slots 27 which communicate at the rear with transverse bores 28 serving for the gas outlet. The bores 28 which are approximately 8-l0 mm. in Width widen out obliquely backwards at both ends 28, so that the gas which flows in through the slots 27 can flow unhindered into the gas outlet chamber 29. The transverse bores 28 which are situated behind the horizontal slots 27' enable the base surface 26 which faces the fuel to be provided with a number of gasoutlet slots such that a sufliciently large free cross-sectional area for the passage of the hot gases is obtained. At the same time an unhindered flow of heat from the sur face 26 of the channeled front portion of each bar to the longitudinal bore 21 through which the water passes is obtained, so that a sufficient cooling is ensured. Although the surface 26 of the tubular bars is intersected by the horizontal and vertical gas-passage slots 27 and 27" which are at relatively short distances apart, the forwardly projecting parts 2t? of the rods between the slots nevertheless afford a sufficient support for the bed of fuel, because the projections 20' are directly supported by their relatively wide bases 20" on the unbroken part 29 of the bars. The gas-outlet slots 27 provided on the base surface of the bars 2% are also advantageous because they compensate for the heat stresses which occur here and therefore, prevent distortion of the bars. In order to prevent particles of fuel from being deposited on the horizontal gas-outlet slots 27' when the fuel moves downwardly from above, the parts 29 between the slots are provided with slightly inclined front faces 29, in such a manner that the projections which follow in the direction of movement of the fuel have piston-forming edges somewhat set back relatively to the preceding parts.

FIGURE 7 in a circuit diagram of the hydraulic control for the piston 8 which efiects the conveyance of the fuel and produces the packing pressure in the reaction chamber 7. The piston 8 which is directly connected to the piston 8 is a double-acting working piston. The cylinder 3b is connected through pipes 31 and 32 to a reversing valve 33 which is in communication through a pressure pipe 34 with a pump 35. A pipe 37 leading from the reversing valve 33 to an oil reservoir 36 acts as the return pipe. A regulable throttle valve 33 is interposed in the pipe 31 between the reversing valve 33 and the working cylinder 30. The valve 38 enables the feed or forward movement ofthe working piston 8' to be regulated according to the desired packing pressure and the speed of through flow of the fuel. Excess pressure valves 39 are provided both in the throttle valve 33 and in the pressure pipe 34. The valves 39 are in communication through the pipes 41 and 40 with the return pipe 37. The reversing valve 33 is provided with a reversing slider 42 cooperating with end stops 43 and 44 which are rigidly connected to the piston 3 and take part in its movements. As soon as the end stop 43 meets the end 42 of the slider 42 towards the end of the inward movement of the working piston 8', the valve 33 is reversed so that the pressure medium flows through the pipe 31 and the throttle valve 38 into the cylinder 30 and thereby acts on the piston so as to move it forward. At the same time the pipe 32 is connected to the return pipe 37. The working piston 8' begins its outward or feed movement which lasts for about 30-420 seconds, depending on the adjustment of the throttle valve 38. After this, the end stop 44 meets the end 42" of the slider, whereby the reversing valve 33 is again reversed and the pressure medium now flows through the pipe 32 to the cylinder 30 and away from the latter through the pipe 31 and the return pipe 37. Since, in this case, the gas pressure acts on the piston d the return of the piston takes place at a considerably greater speed. The time required for the return and forward movement of the piston g is only a few seconds. This ensures that the piston 8' and the piston 8 directly connected to it maintain practically continuously the packing pressure required for the fuel.

We claim:

1. A gas generator for the production of a carbonmonoxide-containing gas, comprising housing means forming a reaction chamber of constant width and a feeding chamber aligned with and constituting a longitudinal extension of said reaction chamber, said feeding chamber opening freely into said reaction chamber, a container for solid carbonaceous fuel, a wall of said feeding chamber being provided with a passage interconnecting said container and said feeding chamber whereby said fuel may be supplied to the latter, a piston longitudinally displaceable in said feeding chamber to compact the fuel fed into said feeding and reaction chambers, said piston having a width substantially equal to that of said reaction chamber, discharge means at an extremity of said reaction chamber remote from said feeding chamber for removing combustion residue from said reaction chamber, inlet cans for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to said reaction chamber laterally through one wall portion thereof, and outlet means at another lateral wall portion of said reaction chamber for discharging carbon-monoxide gas produced therewithin, said other wall portion being formed with an array of closely spaced wall members each provided with a bore for the passage of a cooling fluid therethrough and with intersecting longitudinal and transverse slots opening into said reaction chamber, said slots confronting the carbonaceous fuel in said reaction chamber whereby said carbon-monoxide gas may travel to said outlet means.

2. A gas generator according to claim 1, further comprising hydraulic drive means for reciprocating said piston within said feeding chamber alternately toward and away from said reaction chamber, thereby alternately compacting the fuel therewithin and feeding additional fuel to said reaction chamber, and control means for actuating said drive means with a rate of displacement away from said reaction chamber substantially greater than the rate of displacement toward said reaction chamber.

3. A gas generator according to claim 1 wherein said one wall portion of the reaction chamber consists of plates of heat-resistant material arranged successively in the direction of fuel displacement, further comprising means for adjusting said plates transversely to said direction of displacement.

4. A gas generator according to claim 1 wherein said inlet means comprises a compartment opening into said reaction chamber, and partition means longitudinally subdividing said compartment into a plurality of transversely extending ducts, each of said ducts being provided with a respective slidable closure member whereby the amount of oxygen-containing gas admitted to each of the ducts can be regulated.

5. A gas generator for the production of a carbonmonoxide-containing gas, comprising housing means forming a reaction chamber of constant 'width and a feeding chamber aligned with and constituting a longitudinal extension of said reaction chamber, said feeding chamber opening freely into said reaction chamber, a container for solid carbonaceous fuel, a wall of said feeding chamber being provided with a passage interconnecting said container and said feeding chamber whereby said fuel may be supplied to the latter, a piston longitudinally displaceable in said feeding chamber to compact the fuel fed into said feeding and reaction chambers, said piston having a width substantially equal to that of said reaction chamber, discharge means at an extremity of said reaction chamber remote from said feeding chamber for removing combustion residue from said reaction chamber, inlet means for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to said reaction chamber laterally through one wall portion thereof, and outlet means at another lateral wall portion of said reaction chamber for discharging carbon-monoxide gas produced therewithin, said other Wall portion being formed with an array of closely spaced bars each provided with a longitudinal bore for the passage of a cooltluid therethrough and with intersecting longitudinal and transverse slots opening into said reaction chamber, said slots confronting the carbonaceous fuel in said reaction chamber, said outlet means including a transverse bore provided in each of said bars and communicating with its respective slots, whereby said carbon-monoxide gas may travel to said outlet means.

6. A gas generator according to claim 5 wherein said bars are of trapezoidal cross-section, said longitudinal bore being located in the narrower part and said intersecting slots being located in the wider part of each of said bars.

7. A gas generator according to claim 5 wherein each of said bars has a tubular rear portion integral with a channeled front portion defining said slots.

8. A gas generator according to claim 7 wherein said channeled portion has longitudinally spaced forward projections separated by transverse ones of said slots and provided with at least partly beveled front faces having edges facing said piston set back relatively to adjoining edges of adjacent projections.

9. A gas generator for the production of a carbonmonoXide-containing gas, comprising housing means forming a reaction chamber of constant width and a feeding chamber aligned with and constituting a longitudinal extension of said reaction chamber, said feeding chamber opening freely into said reaction chamber, a container for solid carbonaceous fuel, a wall of said feeding chamber being provided with a passage interconnecting said container and said feeding chamber whereby said fuel may be supplied to the latter, a piston longitudinally displaceable in said feeding chamber to compact the fuel fed into said feeding and reaction chambers, said piston having a Width substantially equal to that of said reaction chamber, discharge means at an extremity of said reaction chamber remote from said feeding chamber for removing combustion residue from said reaction chamber, inlet means for supplying an oxygen-containing gas to said reaction chamber laterally through one wall portion thereof, and outlet means at another lateral wall portion of said reaction chamber for discharging carbonmonoxide gas produced therewithin.

10. A gas generator according to claim 9 wherein said discharge means comprises a rotary slag-discharge drum adapted to entrain combustion residue in said reaction chamber, and adjustment means for controlling the rate at which said drum entrains said residue.

11. A gas generator according to claim 10, further comprising a slag container below said slag-discharge drum.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,062 Peters Aug. 13, 1889 1,349,497 Crush Aug. 10, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS 574,188 Great Britain Dec. 27, 1945 660,967 Germany June 8, 1938 

1. A GAS GENERATOR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A CARBONMONOXIDE-CONTAINING GAS, COMPRISING HOUSING MEANS FORMING A REACTION CHAMBER OF CONSTANT WIDTH AND A FEEDING CHAMBER ALIGNED WITH AND CONSTITUTING A LONGITUDINAL EXTENSION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, SAID FEEDING CHAMBER OPENING FREELY INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER A CONTAINER FOR SOLID CARBONACEOUS FUEL, A WALL OF SAID FEEDING CHAMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PASSAGE INTERCONNECTING SAID CONTAINER AND SAID FEEDING CHAMBER WHEREBY SAID FUEL MAY BE SUPPLIED TO THE LATTER, A PISTON LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACEABLE IN SAID FEEDING CHAMBER TO COMPACT THE FUEL FED INTO SAID FEEDING AND REACTION CHAMBERS, SAID PISTON HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, DISCHARGE MEANS AT AN EXTREMITY OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER REMOTE FROM SAID FEEDING CHAMBER FOR REMOVING COMBUSTION RESIDUE FROM SAID FEEDING CHAMBER, INLET MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING AS TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER LATERALLY THROUGH ONE WALL PORTION THEREOF, AND OUTLET MEANS AT ANOTHER LATERAL WALL PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR DISCHARGING CARBON-MONOXIDE GAS PRODUCED THEREWITHIN, SAID OTHER WALL PORTION BEING FORMED WITH AN ARRAY OF CLOSELY SPACED WALL MEMBERS EACH PROVIDED WITH A BORE FOR THE PASSAGE OF A COOLING FLUID THERETHROUGH AND WITH INTERSECTING LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE SLOTS OPENING INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, SAID SLOTS CONFRONTING THE CARBONACEOUS FUEL IN SAID REACTION CHABMER WHEREBY SAID CARBON-MONOXIDE GAS MAY TRAVEL TO SAID OUTLET MEANS. 